1. L O C A L F O O D D I S T R I B U T I O N C E N T E R
Common Market
Philadelphia

2. Presentation Outline
1. Genesis of the idea
2. Planning process
3. Role of social capital
4. Where are we now and
where are we going?

3. Urban Food
Desert or
“swamp”
•High incidence of
chronic disease
•High rate of childhood
and adult obesity
•Very low access to
healthy food

6. Vision
Common Market envisions a future
where all communities are nourished
by wholesome food grown by
sustainable local farmers

7. Mission Statement
 Create an infrastructure to help build a more
equitable and sustainable food distribution system
for the Philadelphia metropolitan area
 Help ensure the viability of local farmers by
providing an economically superior alternative to
the mainstream food distribution network
 Provide urban consumers with increased access to
locally and sustainably grown food

8. Target Market
=Institutions
•Self-sustaining ops!
•Broad coalition
•Achieve economies of
scale and reach mission
of affecting broader
access to local foods
•Parallel project
launched by partner
organization
•Leveraging excess
capacity of existing
distribution facility
•(c)3 corp. structure
Planning Process

9. Customers
•Hospitals
•Universities
•Philadelphia School
District
•Private and
independent schools
•Affordable CSA project
with Saint Christopher’s
Foundation for
Children

10. Role of Social Capital
 “First Industries” bond issue
 $100k Planning grant
 Eligible for 50% loan guarantee
 Foundation Grants and PRI
 Small Corporate Grant
 Revolving lines of credit
 $60K from The Reinvestment Fund (with state guarantee)
 $130K from RSF Social Finance (guaranteed by receivables)
 Total Y-1 startup= $90K

11. Where are we?

12. Where are we going?
 Year two sales @ $600K
 Focus on food safety
 Infrastructure in place for growth
 Working toward break even (BE)
 BE projected to be at $1.2M sales in year 4

14. Stages
 Idea to Planning
 LaunchStartup
 Model testing and redesign
 Finding efficiencies
 Early growth phase
 Working toward break even
 Proof of model
 Scalability Replicability
 Other geographic markets
 Suggestions or Questions?

15. Contact
haile@commonmarketphila.org
(424) 242-4535
www.commonmarketphila.org